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School board member Shake Washington reflects on integration, athletics and equity in Hillsborough County
Summary
Shake Washington, a Hillsborough County School Board member and longtime educator, described growing up in predominantly Black schools, athletic and military service, and how those experiences shape his focus on equity in board decisions; he urged conflict resolution as advice for young people.
Shake Washington, a member of the Hillsborough County School Board and a longtime educator, recounted growing up in District/Area 4 and how his experiences as a student, coach and principal inform his approach to school governance.
On the Hillsborough County Public Schools podcast, host Deborah Bellanti asked Washington why he ran for the board. Washington said he initially resisted but ran after encouragement from his pastor, who asked, “Who has better history? Who’s been around longer than you? Who’s been through the ranks?” He said that experience — from substitute teacher to assistant superintendent — was central to his decision. “I bring a different perspective because I’ve been through the ranks of education,” Washington said.
Washington described early losses and later success in local elections: he ran in 2018 and lost in the general election, then ran again in 2020 and won. He said his lifelong ties to Area 4 — attending Meacham Elementary, B.T. Washington and George S. Milton High School — shaped his commitment to the community.
He recalled teachers and coaches who mentored him after the death of his mother and helped push him toward higher education. Washington credited coaches and specific teachers with sustaining students’ academic and personal growth: “They cared about you,” he said of his elementary teachers, and praised coaches for expecting students to prepare for college.
Athletics figured prominently in Washington’s story. He described leading his high school in scoring, serving as team captain and competing in the first year of integrated athletics. He recalled a notable comeback win against Jesuit and said he was the first Black student from his predominantly Black high school to make all-county basketball.
Washington also described a period of military service after college. Drafted in 1971, he said he served at Fort Jackson and Fort Gordon, spent 19 months in Germany and played on an Army basketball team. After his service he completed his degree and returned to education.
As a coach and principal — including 17 years as a head basketball coach at King — Washington said his leadership centered on respect, mentorship and caring for students. “I dealt with kids, and I always respected students,” he said, describing a reciprocal relationship of respect with faculty and students.
On the school board, Washington said he prioritizes equity over equality: giving students what they need rather than identical resources for everyone. “I look at equity first,” he said, explaining that identical allocations can leave some students without the help they need.
Asked what advice he would give young people today, Washington urged conflict resolution. “We can solve this another way,” he said, encouraging diplomacy and conversation instead of violence.
Bellanti closed by thanking Washington for sharing his story and noting the episode’s time limit; the guest said he would be willing to continue the conversation at greater length.
The interview provides a first-person account of a school board member whose career spans classroom teaching, coaching, school leadership, military service and elected office and who frames his board work around equity and student-centered mentorship.
